Kiylek, Gladiator and Slave
by Jinne F'kel
Summary: Just a little passage going over a gladiatorial battle on Geonosis, whether it be ordinary or uncommon. The character Kiylek is based off one of my characters on S.W.T.O.R., Kiylek F'kel. Hope you enjoy.


"Die, Twi'lek worm!"

At least, that's what Kiylek thought he heard before the Rattataki opposite him unleashed his, erm... Pet?

Bylri the Beastmaster stepped aside as the gate behind him slowly slid up and out of sight, revealing a pair of pale yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.

'Great,' Kiylek thought, gripping his vibrosword tightly and holding it out in front of him.

The cheering of the crowd escalated to screams for blood as a towering terentautek stormed out of the shadowy cage, roaring loudly and turning immediately toward Kiylek. "There you go," the Rattataki beastmaster shouted. "Get 'em, boy!" Bylri's beast was charging before he could finish his order, swinging its wickedly clawed arms recklessly as it ran.

Kiylek muttered, "Son of a Kath hound," quickly backing up against the wall of the arena. "What did Mazzag say about these things again?!"

Closing his eyes to drown out his surroundings, Kiylek remembered the heavily accented voice of his master trying to pound his advice into the Twi'lek's head: "Now, Kiylek, these terenturrets or whatever-the-heck they're called usually eat Force-sensitives, so you might be in trouble there. Still not sure 'bout that, but I bet Bylri's starved this thing for a week waiting to fight you, so watch out for the claws and - "

The voice was cut off abruptly as a massive scaly hand smacked Kiylek aside like he was a chew toy. Luckily for him, the sand cushioned his impact with the ground; had he hit the wall, he could've easily broken a bone - or twelve.

Kiylek eyed the terentautek carefully, sizing his opponent up as it began to charge toward him once more. Standing at least ten feet tall, the beast was covered in pale gray scales set like tempered terenthium. Kiylek could see several large chinks in the creature's natural armor, although he'd first have to get past its claws and tusks.

He crouched down to grab his vibrosword, which he thought he'd managed to keep a grip onto. To his dismay, Kiylek's luck seemed to have ended with the soft landing: the double-edged weapon lay on the other side of the terentautek, devoid of its usual blue glow.

The Twi'lek growled, standing up and glaring at Bylri's beast. Its Rattataki master stood keeled over in front of the open cage, laughing and chanting along with the crowd: "Eat him, eat him!" Ignoring the jeers of the audience, Kiylek sighed and thought, 'Let's see if that Force thing works again.'

He waited until the terentautek was three meters away to charge sideways, causing the beast to let out a frustrated roar and pursue the gladiator. As soon as Kiylek saw an opening, he took it: he reached his hand out toward the vibrosword, repeatedly muttering, "Come over here, come over here..."

At first, it seemed as if his attempt was in vain. The vibrosword simply lay in the scorching hot sand, its durasteel blade gleaming in the sunlight. Then, just as the terentautek seemed to close in on him, the vibrosword shot off the ground and into Kiylek's outstretched hand.

'Yes! Now, for part two!'

In one movement, Kiylek turned and charged toward Bylri's beast, shoving his blade upward as he ducked between its feet.

The terentautek roared in pain as the crowd grew silent, most of them reconsidering the bets they'd made on the beastmaster and his pet. A clawed hand swung dangerously close to Kiylek's arm, and he sidestepped quickly to avoid the two-foot talons. Turning tail and running forward for another attack, Kiylek slashed at the beast's knees and left his sword hilt-deep in the back of the monster's shin.

A sound like a giant whip filled the silent arena, and Kiylek knew his blade had reached the terentautek's bone marrow. The broken leg shattered beneath seven hundred pounds of flesh, sending the beast sliding on its still-empty stomach toward the Twi'lek, who walked calmly to the creature's feet to retrieve his weapon.

Now that it was weakened, the terentautek could only groan in pain as Kiylek pulled his vibrosword out of the creature's leg and walked toward Bylri.

"You... You killed my pet!" The Rattataki breathed heavily, looking warily from Kiylek to the terentautek and back again. "If he couldn't kill you, I will!"

The obese beastmaster drew a golden dagger and charged - er, waddled - in Kiylek's direction.

Without an extra breath, Kiylek pushed forward with one hand and sent Bylri's dagger flying before slicing sideways with his vibrosword. The blade cleaved into the Rattataki's knees and sent him into the sand screaming.

A few people in the crowd began to cheer, and as others took to chanting Kiylek's name with them, the Twi'lek knelt down beside Bylri and said, "I didn't kill him, beastmaster: I crippled him, as I have now crippled you."

Kiylek stood up straight and held his hands high above his head, staring around at the audience. Some looked directly at Kiylek as they cheered, while most bickered loudly with each other and passed credit chips back and forth.

For the entire duration of the battle, Kiylek had felt free. But as the arena announcer spoke over the loudspeaker in common Geonosian clicks, he soon remembered that he was just another play toy for the people who visited the Petranaki arena; he was just another slave to the insectoid race that called Geonosis their home.

Sure, he'd won big money for Mazzag this time.

But no matter how many battles he fought, Kiylek knew he could never win his freedom.


End file.
